San José State University
School of Social Work
Social Work 110: Foundations of Social Work Practice
(Course Code: 43895; Section 2)
Fall 2013
Instructor:
Sang E. Lee, PhD, MSW
Office Location:
WSQ 215I
Telephone:
(408) 924-5815
Email:
sang.lee@sjsu.edu
Office Hours:
Tuesday 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm or by appointment
Class Days/Time:
Friday 9:00 am – 11:45 am
Classroom:
SH346
Pre/Corequisite:
ScWk 110 is a prerequisite or co-requisite for ScWk 140
Canvas and MYSJSU Messaging
Our course, ScWk 110, will be using San Jose State’s online learning management
system Canvas for the upcoming semester.
Login URL: https://sjsu.instructure.com
Please note that it should NOT have the “www” at the start of the URL like many other websites.
Username: SJSU 9-digit ID number.
Password: Self-generated password for your SJSUOne account.
Courses: Once logged into Canvas, you will see your course or courses listed in the Courses
Heading on the top of the page. From the dropdown menu, click on the course name, and you
will be entered into the course. Note: That link will not be active until the start date of the course.
It is recommended that you visit the eCampus Canvas website
at http://www.sjsu.edu/at/ec/canvas/. This website offers a number of Quick Start Learning
Guides to help you navigate Canvas tools. Also, detailed guides can be found
at http://guides.instructure.com/.
For questions regarding the course or course materials, please contact me, the instructor.
For issues related to Canvas, please contact the eCampus Help Desk. The Help Desk
can give technical support for issues encountered in Canvas Courses.
 Phone: (408) 924-2337
 Submit a help ticket using the following
URL: https://isupport.sjsu.edu/ecampus/ContentPages/Incident.aspx.
 While logged into Canvas, click on the word Help on the upper right corner of the screen.
You are responsible for regularly checking with the messaging system through MySJSU (or
other communication system as indicated by the instructor).
Catalog Description
Introduction to the history, mission, values, skills and knowledge base of generalist social work
practice within a transcultural perspective. Focus on social work practice with emphasis on those
populations at-risk who are disenfranchised and marginalized. (3 units).
Course Description
The primary focus of this course is to introduce foundation knowledge necessary for generalist
social work practice. This course is geared to raise the student’s self-awareness, assertiveness,
understanding of social work values and ethics, critical thinking ability in social work practice,
promotion of social and economic justice, and appreciation for diversity. The course will
emphasize a strengths perspective to the problem-solving process of empowering the vulnerable
persons, groups and communities to address their needs. The experience of diverse populations
and populations at risk will be emphasized.
Course Competencies and Practice Behaviors (Student Learning Objectives)
Core Competencies
The following Competencies are realized through this course:
1. Identify as a professional social worker and conduct oneself accordingly
2. Apply social work ethical principles to guide professional practice
3. Apply critical thinking to inform and communicate professional judgments
4. Engage diversity and difference in practice
5. Advance human rights and social and economic justice
9. Respond to contexts that shape practice
10. Engage, assess, intervene, and evaluate with individuals, families, groups, organizations and
communities
Students Learning Objectives (SLOs) and Practice Behaviors for Competencies
Upon completion of ScWk 110 students will be able to:
1. Demonstrate self-awareness of personal knowledge limitations and biases, and understand
social work values and ethics by identifying core values central to the profession.
Program Objectives: 1(b) (Professional identity), 2(a, b) (Ethical practice)
2. Recognize and communicate their understanding of the importance of difference in shaping
life experiences and understand the generalist approach within a strengths-based, ecological
perspective, and transcultural perspective working with people from various cultural
backgrounds.
Program Objectives: 4(b, c) (Diversity)
3. Gain knowledge of the role and function of historical, social, political, and economic factors
as the underlying causes and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination that have
historically shaped and defined the field of social welfare and the profession of social work.
Program Objectives: 5(a) (Justice)
4. By integrating multiple sources of knowledge, demonstrate critical thinking as a means to
understand generalist social work practice and to describe the various roles by social workers
as change agents at the micro, mezzo and macro levels.
Program Objectives: 3(a) (Critical thinking)
5. Demonstrate professional demeanor including interpersonal skills and empathy in behavior,
appearance, and communication, a beginning capacity of collecting and organizing client’s
data as well as effective oral and written communication.
Program Objectives: 1(d) (Professional identity), 3(c) (Communication skills), 10 (a-b)
(Engagement), 10 (b-a, b) (Assessment)
6. Demonstrate a beginning capacity to discern and promote sustainable practice and service
delivery change to improve service quality.
Program Objectives: 9(b) (Respond to contexts that shape practice)
Required Texts/Readings
Textbook
DuBois, B. & Miley, K. K. (2013). Social Work: An Empowering Profession, (8th ed.).
Boston: Allyn and Bacon. ISBN-13: 978-0-205-84894-2
* The textbook is available at SJSU Spartan Bookstore (www.spartanbookstore.com)
Required readings
Chapter 1 & 2 and Appendix from Samantrai, S. (1996). Interviewing in Health and Human
Services, Chicago, IL: Nelson-Hall. An electronic copy will be provided.
National Association of Social Workers. (2008). Code of Ethics of the National
Association of Social Workers. Washington, D.C.: NASW Press. Available at:
http://www.socialworkers.org/pubs/code/code.asp
Supplemental Reading
American Psychological Association. (2009). Publication Manual of the American
Psychological Association (6th ed.). Washington, D. C.: American Psychological Association.
ISBN-13:978-1433805615
Canvas
The course uses Canvas, a learning management system, to distribute course materials such as
the syllabus, weekly outlines, other handouts, etc. All assignment submission should be via
CANVAS, too.
Library Liaison
For assistance in the library go to the King Library Reference Desk (2nd floor; 808-2100) and/or
utilize the Social Work Research Guide available at http://libguides.sjsu.edu/scwk. The Social
Work Library Liaison is: Teresa Slobuski, who may be reached by phone (408.808.2015) or
email (Teresa.Slobuski@sjsu.edu).
Classroom Protocol
Students are expected to arrive on time, participate in class discussions and exercises, and to be
attentive to lectures and discussions. Students are expected to share ideas, listen to the ideas of
others and participate in class discussions. It is important to be courteous and respectful to ones’
peers as well as to the instructors. There will be periodic in-class assignments of written
review/summary of presentations, discussions, and/or exercises.
Note: If you are not attending class, you are not participating. According to University policy
F69-24, “Students should attend all meetings of their class, not only because they are responsible
for material discussed therein, but because active participation is frequent essential to insure
maximum benefit for all members of the class. Attendance per se shall not be used as a criterion
for grading.”
During the class session, personal business is the secondary priority. This includes cell phone
conversation, text messaging, emailing, web surfing, making social plans, or reading/studying for
other classes. Laptops are allowed for note-taking only. For expectation about classroom
behavior, see Academic Senate Policy S90-5 on Student Rights and Responsibilities found at:
http://www.sjsu.edu/senate/s90-5.htm
BASW is a professional degree and appropriate professional behavior expected. Chronic
tardiness, more than one unexcused absence, and/or disruptive behavior (including the use of
laptops for other than class-related activities, texting during the class) will be reflected in the
participation grade. Class attendance will be usually taken and recorded during the first part of
class sessions. Timely communication with the instructor is expected. All class time is valuable,
and if a student needs to leave due to illness or emergency, I expect to be informed.
Dropping and Adding
Students are responsible for understanding the policies and procedures about add/drops,
academic renewal, etc. Refer to the current semester’s Catalog Policies section at
http://info.sjsu.edu/static/catalog/policies.html. Add/drop deadlines can be found on the current
academic calendar web page located at
http://www.sjsu.edu/academic_programs/calendars/academic_calendar/. The Late Drop Policy
is available at http://www.sjsu.edu/aars/policies/latedrops/policy/. Students should be aware of
the current deadlines and penalties for dropping classes. Information about the latest changes and
news is available at the Advising Hub at http://www.sjsu.edu/advising/.
Assignments and Grading Policy
Your grade in this course will be based on written assignments, oral presentation, final exam and
participation as follows:
Assignment
Points
Course Student Learning
Objective/Competency (SLO)
1. Personal Perspective
2. Social History
3. Fields of Practice Group
Assignment and Personal
Reflection paper
4. Oral Presentation
5. Class Participation
6. Final Exam
10
20
30
SLO: 1, 2
SLO; 2, 5
SLO: 3, 4, 5, 6
10
15
15
SLO: 3, 4, 5, 6
SLO: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
SLO: 1, 3, 4
Penalty for Late Work
Late submission will result in deduction in points and delayed review. If you submit an
assignment after the due date and time without discussing with me, 10% of the total assignment
point value will be deducted automatically. For example, if an assignment is worth 20 points,
2.0 points will be deducted prior to grading. Another 10% of the total grade will be deducted for
each additional week, or fraction thereof, that the assignment is late. You can avoid the late
deduction(s) by planning ahead and contacting me to make alternative arrangements. If you are
unable to submit an assignment by the date and time indicated on this syllabus (or announced in
class), you must discuss your situation with me at least 48 hours prior to the time the assignment
is due.
Written Assignment Submission and Due Dates
As noted earlier, your assignments should be submitted through CANVAS by 6pm on the due
date. Due date of each assignment is indicated in the weekly course schedule.
Assignment 1: Personal Perspectives (10 points)
Based on the first few weeks of course material, lecture, readings, and a lifetime of living and
self-knowledge, students will articulate a personal perspective on social work practice. This
perspective should be within a maximum of 2 type-written pages and will address the following
content areas:
1. What is one issue you struggle with?
2. What do you think is the root or cause of this issue for you?
3. What is the patterned behavior that you use to lower your stress?
4. Do you see this patterned behavior as a weakness or strength?
5. What was it like to address this issue in a paper?
To assist the student in understanding what a client experiences when asked to address
issues in his or her family, a section (area 5) should be devoted to describing what it was
like to think about and analyze one's own functioning.
Assignment 2: Social History* (20 points)
The social worker is to prepare a typed 5- page highly factual and detailed social
assessment report on a classmate, relative, friend, roommate, acquaintance. You are
required to work with the two degrees of separation rule: 1) The person should be of a
different race and 2) have one other significant difference from you (language, gender,
sexual orientation, generation, etc.). The information in this report should justify your
final impressions and inferences. The report should use the following headings:
1.
Identifying Information: e.g., birth date, occupation, race, religion, marital
status. You may change the name and vitals to protect someone’s privacy.
2.
Family Background and Personal History: general family history, education
and employment history, marital/intimate partner/relationship history, general
health and wellness history (i.e. does this person have physical or behavioral
challenges, a chronic health condition, a terminal illness, etc.)
3.
Natural Support Network: significant relationships and nature of involvement.
4.
Physical Environment: e.g., housing situation, financial stability,
transportation
resources, neighborhood.
5.
Important Life Events: e.g., situation and client's response to deaths of
significant others, serious losses or traumas, significant life achievements,
family dysfunctions, other events.
6.
Religion and Social Activities: e.g., denominations, church membership,
extent of involvement, spiritual perspective, special observances.
7.
Prior Contacts with Helping Agencies: e.g., any agencies or counseling
service.
8.
Impressions and Assessment: summarize your impression and inferences from
the above facts including any potential problem(s), strengths and resources for
the problem(s).
*Before you conduct an interview, you should obtain an interviewee’s
permission and let them know the types of questions you will be asking.
You can earn extra credits by trying genogram (2 points) and ecomap (2 points) to support the
social history information gathered from the interviewee.
Your assignment will be graded using the following breakdown:
Items 1 through 7
/10
Item 8
/5
**
Writing
/5
Total
/20
Extra credits:
Genogram
Ecomap
Total extra credit
**
/2
/2
/4
Following will be considered in regard to your writing:
- Language Use
 Clear, direct style, precision and clarity
 Variety of sentence patterns used correctly
 Words appropriate to tone and meaning/ avoidance of slang, trite, informal language
- Paragraph Integrity
 Introduction functions appropriately




Each paragraph has a focused topic sentence and clear purpose (refer to content)
Paragraphs are organized, unified and adequately developed
Transitions used to establish coherent flow of ideas
Logical, coherent structure is evident
- Mechanical Accuracy
 Punctuation generally correct/capitalization correct
 Grammatical accuracy/spelling conventions observed
 Careful editing (minimal typographical errors)/ manuscript rules observed (i.e., font, font
size, margins, APA style formatting)
Assignment 3: Fields of Practice Group Assignment (e-portfolio) and Personal Reflection
Paper (30 points in total)
Assignment 3-1. Field of practice group assignment (e-portfolio) (25 points)
Each group of 4 students will gather and present information on one of the practice fields
(e.g., Child Welfare, Health, Juvenile Justice, Mental Health, Rehabilitation/Disabilities,
Aging, Emergency/Crisis Services, Drug/Alcohol, Education/Schools). Once each group
selects one of the practice fields, the group will arrange an interview with a social work
professional at a social service agency.
An e-portfolio is an organized notebook containing: 1) typed minutes of your group’s
meetings, including who attended, contributions of each member, 2) a list of minimum of
five journal articles/other resources as references to support your project (i.e., references to
support the historical perspective or current issues), and 3) a copy of the agency’s website
you interviewed.
All portfolios will be turned in by 6pm of the last day of the class. The following areas
should be covered in your e-portfolio:
1. Historical perspective: when was the field first defined, has the definition of the problem
changed over time?
2. Differing political perspectives on this problem area: what is the nature of the problem
from different perspectives, what is the dominant view in the US at this time?
3. Current issues and trends: what are the relevant issues in the field, what trends appear
likely in the future?
4. Practice implications for social workers: what are the common roles of the social worker
in this field of practice, what are the most common practice settings/agencies, what
practice methods are used most by social workers in this field?
5. Summary of your agency interview: when, where, how long and with whom; what
questions were asked in relation to your chosen field of practice and how were they
answered? Some example questions include (but not limited): what do they do for the
practice field and its population?; how the clients and their problems are approached
there?; what are the critical issues the agency and its clients are facing?; what are the
roles of social workers there?
6. Reference page(s) in APA style
Your final product should be organized in the following way:
-
Title page
Main body (items 1 through 5)
Reference page(s)
Appendix including (1) typed minutes and (2) a copy of agency website
Page limit: no more than 10 pages (this does not include a title page, reference pages and
appendix)
Your assignment will be graded using the following breakdown:
Items 1 through 4
Item 5
Writing, citation & references***
Total
There are opportunities of extra credits:
Typed minutes of your group meetings
Inclusion of references used in the project (in
reference page(s))
Copy of agency website
Total extra credits
***
-
-
-
-
/10
/10
/5
/25
/1
/1
/1
/3
Following will be considered in regard to your writing, citation and references:
Language Use
 Clear, direct style, precision and clarity
 Variety of sentence patterns used correctly
 Words appropriate to tone and meaning/ avoidance of slang, trite, informal language
 Avoid excessive direct quotation/ avoid “dropped-in” quotes
Paragraph Integrity
 Introduction functions appropriately
 Each paragraph has a focused topic sentence and clear purpose (refer to content)
 Paragraphs are organized, unified and adequately developed
 Transitions used to establish coherent flow of ideas
 Logical, coherent structure is evident
Mechanical Accuracy
 Punctuation generally correct/capitalization correct
 Grammatical accuracy/spelling conventions observed
 Careful editing (minimal typographical errors)/ manuscript rules observed (i.e., font, font
size, margins, APA style formatting)
Citation & References
 Cite appropriate sources
 Citation format observed/ reference format observed in APA style
Assignment 3-2. Personal reflection paper (5 points)
In addition to e-portfolio, each member of the group will submit separately, one page
personal reflection on their experience in the group. Answering these three questions: 1)
How well did the group work together?; 2) In what way did the group dynamics not work?;
and 3) What did you learn from the group dynamics about others and yourself? Give a
detailed description of what you would do to change the dynamics of the group.
Assignment 4: Oral Presentation (10 points)
During week 13 or 14, each group will present what they covered in e-portfolio including
their agency interview. A total of 15 minutes will be allotted per group for presentation of
their e-portfolio and additional 5 minutes for Q and A. Prepare any visual aids for your
presentation (PowerPoint presentation is preferred).
Your oral presentation will be graded using the following:
A. Contents (5 points)
1. Contents appropriate to class? Contents too broad? If yes, suggestions for focused
contents:
2. Carefully thought-out: Student put effort into gathering, selecting, understanding
information on the topic
3. Information appeared accurate/appropriate/fairly complete for a preliminary
presentation
4. Tried to explore main ideas from different angles
5. Tried to address complexity of issues examined in ideas
B. Organization (2 points)
1. Presentation had a beginning, middle and end (intro/background; main topic;
conclusions/implications)
2. Imbalance in beginning, middle and end (the middle should be the longest).
3. Any points out of the logical order?
C. Delivery (3 points)
1. Voice: volume okay? Speed okay?
2. Voice: used inflection (avoid tendency to monotone)
3. Time: within time limit? Allotted time overused or underused?
4. Body language: Frequent eye contact with audience?
5. Any distracting body or language mannerisms? (like “uh” between sentences)
6. Visual aids: Clear? Simple? Few words/figures. Formatting not distracting (no
unnecessary gizmos, no distracting background designs)
7. Visual aids: point of aid obviously linked to talk; Used when they would help
presentation? Omitted when they would add nothing to presentation?
Final Exam (15 points) (Date and time will be arranged)
The final exam will cover all class material (i.e., from lectures, class discussions and required
readings) for the entire semester. The exam may include any or all of the following: multiple
choice, matching, and true/false questions.
There will be no makeup exams. If a student has a written medical excuse for missing an
exam, the percentage earned on the final paper will be substituted for the missed exam. If a
student does not have a written medical excuse, the student will receive a zero for the missed
exam.
Class Participation
Students will be assessed on the frequency, punctuality, quality, and depth of their in-class
participation in class discussions. As part of class participation, students are expected to
critically analyze information that is presented/discussed, bring examples and applications of the
concepts being covered, be prepared to discuss readings, and provide additional insights on
issues from their own special knowledge and expertise.
Students should notify the instructor in advance if they are not able to attend class or if they need
to leave class early. Social work is a verbal profession, thus being verbally involved in class
discussions, activities, and your ability to share how your personal learning experience is
evolving is crucial. Please respect the instructor and your colleagues. Texting, IMing, and being
on Facebook or other social networking sites during class are not an example of participation or
respect. Also see “Classroom Protocol” in earlier pages for classroom expectations.
APA Format and Writing Requirements
All papers must follow current American Psychological Association (APA) format guidelines
(6th edition) with the following exceptions: the use of running heads is optional. All papers
must use standard, 12-point fonts (e.g., Times Roman) and be free of typographical, formatting,
spelling, and content errors, as the quality of the writing will be evaluated as part of the
grade for all written assignments. Be sure to carefully review and edit all drafts prior to
submission. All ideas, quotes, and information taken or derived from other sources must be
appropriately cited and referenced in accordance with APA rules.
You must use appropriate grammar and style for a college paper.
Include a title page on top of the body of your paper. The title page should include (centered on
the page): the title, your name, the name of the university, the course and the date.
Word-processed and double-spaced with one inch margins OR typed using double-spacing with
one-inch margins.
You will lose points if your written assignments do not follow these minimum requirements. The
instructor will hand back each assignment with suggestions for clarification. Keep these returned
assignments for your future revisions.
Grading
The grading and evaluation distribution for the class is outlined below.
Percentage.
Grade.
97-100%.
A+
93-96%.
A
90-92%.
A87-89%.
B+
83-86%.
80-82%.
77-79%.
73-76%.
70-72%.
67-69%.
63-66%.
60-62%.
Below 60%.
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
DF
University Policies
Academic integrity
Your commitment as a student to learning is evidenced by your enrollment at San Jose State
University. The University’s Academic Integrity policy, located at
http://www.sjsu.edu/senate/S07-2.htm, requires you to be honest in all your academic course
work. Faculty members are required to report all infractions to the office of Student Conduct and
Ethical Development. The Student Conduct and Ethical Development website is available at
http://www.sa.sjsu.edu/judicial_affairs/index.html.
Instances of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. Cheating on exams or plagiarism
(presenting the work of another as your own, or the use of another person’s ideas without giving
proper credit) will result in a failing grade and sanctions by the University. For this class, all
assignments are to be completed by the individual student unless otherwise specified. If you
would like to include your assignment or any material you have submitted, or plan to submit for
another class, please note that SJSU’s Academic Policy S07-2 requires approval of instructors.
Campus Policy in Compliance with the American Disabilities Act
If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, or if you need to
make special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please make an appointment
with me as soon as possible, or see me during office hours. Presidential Directive 97-03 at
http://www.sjsu.edu/president/docs/directives/PD_1997-03.pdf requires that students with
disabilities requesting accommodations must register with the Accessible Education Center
(AEC) at http://www.sjsu.edu/aec/ to establish a record of their disability.
University Resources
Student Technology Resources
Computer labs for student use are available in the Academic Success Center at
http://www.sjsu.edu/at/asc/ located on the 1st floor of Clark Hall and on the 2nd floor of the
Student Union. Additional computer labs may be available in your department/college.
Computers are also available in the Martin Luther King Library. A wide variety of audio-visual
equipment is available for student checkout from Media Services located in IRC 112. These
items include digital and VHS camcorders, VHS and Beta video players, 16 mm, slide, overhead,
DVD, CD, and audiotape players, sound systems, wireless microphones, projection screens and
monitors.
SJSU Peer Connections
The Learning Assistance Resource Center (LARC) and the Peer Mentor Program have merged to
become Peer Connections. Peer Connections is the new campus-wide resource for mentoring
and tutoring. Our staff is here to inspire students to develop their potential as independent
learners while they learn to successfully navigate through their university experience. Students
are encouraged to take advantage of our services which include course-content based tutoring,
enhanced study and time management skills, more effective critical thinking strategies, decision
making and problem-solving abilities, and campus resource referrals.
In addition to offering small group, individual, and drop-in tutoring for a number of
undergraduate courses, consultation with mentors is available on a drop-in or by appointment
basis. Workshops are offered on a wide variety of topics including preparing for the Writing
Skills Test (WST), improving your learning and memory, alleviating procrastination, surviving
your first semester at SJSU, and other related topics. A computer lab and study space are also
available for student use in Room 600 of Student Services Center (SSC).
Peer Connections is located in three locations: SSC, Room 600 (10th Street Garage on the corner
of 10th and San Fernando Street), at the 1st floor entrance of Clark Hall, and in the Living
Learning Center (LLC) in Campus Village Housing Building B. Visit Peer Connections website
at http://peerconnections.sjsu.edu for more information.
SJSU Writing Center
The SJSU Writing Center is located in Room 126 in Clark Hall. It is staffed by professional
instructors and upper-division or graduate-level writing specialists from each of the seven SJSU
colleges. Our writing specialists have met a rigorous GPA requirement, and they are well trained
to assist all students at all levels within all disciplines to become better writers. The Writing
Center website is located at http://www.sjsu.edu/writingcenter/about/staff/.
Social Work 110: Foundations of Social Work Practice
(Course Code: 43895; Section 2)
Fall 2013
Course Schedule
This schedule is subject to change with fair notice. I will announce any changes in class.
Table 1 Course Schedule
Week
Date
Topics, Readings, Assignments, Deadlines
1
8/23
2
8/30
Introduction and Overview of Social Work Practice
- Overview of the Course
- Introduction to Social Work Practice & Generalist Practice Model
The Context of Generalist Social Work Practice
- Emergence of social work as a profession
- The issues related to social work's status as a profession
- Common base of social work practice
- Ecosystems perspective
- Empowering profession
- Introducing generalist social work- multiple levels of
intervention
- Social work methods: casework, group work, community
organization, and the integrated generalist model
- Integrated generalist model
Reading: DuBois & Miley, Chapter 1, 2 & 3
[PB: 2(a) (Ethical practice); 4(b, c) (Diversity)]
Group formation for assignment 3 & 4
3
9/6
Values and Ethics, Human Rights and Social Justice, and Diversity
in Social Work
Practice
- Common values of the social work profession
- Social work Codes of Ethics
- Ethical Principles for social work
- Concepts of human rights, civil rights, and social justice
- Effects of social injustice, including oppression, discrimination,
dehumanization, and victimization (the “isms”)
- Concepts associated with diversity including cultural diversity,
cultural identity and cultural pluralism
- Diversity and social work: Cultural competence
- A strengths based approach to practice
Reading: DuBois & Miley, Chapter 5, 6 & 7
Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers
[PB: 1(b) (Professional identity); 2(a, b) (Ethical practice); 5(a)
(Justice)]
Check-in: assignment #1
Week
4
Date
9/13
Topics, Readings, Assignments, Deadlines
Social Work Functions and Roles
- Generalist approach: various functions and roles at multiple
levels
- Different types and characteristics of social service settings
- Funding of services
- Social worker title protection
- Influence of political ideology on social welfare policies and
programs
- Integrate social work practice, policy, and research in the
functions of social work
Reading: DuBois & Miley, Chapter 4, 9 & 10
[PB: 3(a) (Critical thinking)]
5
6
7
9/20
9/27
10/4
Assignment 1: Personal Perspectives Due by 6pm
Overview: The Phases of the Change Process
- Empowering approach to generalist practice
- Clients’ rights from empowerment perspective on practice
- The Phases of the change process: Engagement – Assessment–
Implementation: Intervention & Evaluation
Reading: DuBois & Miley, Chapter 8; Samantrai, Chapter 1
[PB: 10a(b) (Assessment); 10b(a, b) (Engagement)]
Details of the Change Process: Engagement
- Forming partnership: Qualities of professional partnership
- Avoid dual relationship
- Respecting confidentiality
- Articulating situations: responding to thoughts and feelings
- Response continuum
Reading: Samantrai, Chapter 2 & Appendix
[PB: 10a(b) (Assessment); 10b(a, b) (Engagement)]
Details of the Change Process: Assessment & Closure
- Identifying strengths
- Recognizing strengths in individuals, families, communities, and
culture
- Ethnic strengths and strengths in group memberships
- Assessment tools: Social history, genogram, eco-map
- Types of closure
- Evaluation
- Preparing resolutions, discussing readiness and sharing feelings
- Client’s discontinuation of services, clients’ deaths
[PB: 10a(b) (Assessment); 10b(a, b) (Engagement)]
Week
8
9
Date
10/11
10/18
Topics, Readings, Assignments, Deadlines
Check-in: assignment #2 & #3
Social Work and Poverty, Unemployment, and Homelessness
- Poverty in America: distribution of poverty, why are people
poor? and government responses to poverty
- Unemployment: measures of unemployment, issue of
underemployment, consequences of unemployment, and
unemployment benefits
- Homelessness: myths and misconceptions, federal responses,
and rights of the homeless
Reading: DuBois & Miley, Chapter 11
[PB: 9(b) (Respond to contexts that shape practice)]
Social Work in Health Care, Disability, Mental Health, Substance
Abuse & Criminal Justice
- Social work in health care settings: hospital-based services vs.
community based services, long-term care, hospice program,
end-of life care
- Disability: physical and developmental disabilities, and social
work principles for working with people with disabilities
- Mental health: prevalence of mental health issues in the U.S.,
social work responses, and deinstitutionalization
- Substance abuse: dependence vs. abuse, types of psychoactive
drugs, prevalence of substance use in the U.S., and social work
responses
- Criminal justice: social work roles and challenges for special
population groups.
Reading: DuBois & Miley, Chapter 12
[PB: 9(b) (Respond to contexts that shape practice)]
10
11
10/25
11/1
Assignment 2: Social History due by 6pm
Social Work with Families and Youths
- Child maltreatment: types of child abuse and neglect, mandatory
reporting laws & CPS, prevalence of child abuse in the U.S.,
contributing factors, and psychological effects
- Child welfare services: family-centered approach, family support
and preservation services, foster care, formal kinship care,
independent living services, and adoption
- Working with adolescents at risk: teen pregnancy, adolescent
suicide, runaway youths, and eating disorders
Reading: DuBois & Miley, Chapter 13
[PB: 9(b) (Respond to contexts that shape practice)]
Social Work with Adults and Older Adults
Week
Date
Topics, Readings, Assignments, Deadlines
-
-
-
Intimate partner violence: types, dynamics (cycle of violence),
dating violence, violence among sexual minorities, service
responses including VAWA
Elder abuse: mandatory reporting laws & APS, types, size of the
problem, risk factors, profiles of abusers, and consequences
Caregiving for older adults: profiles of U.S. family caregivers,
impact of caregiving on work, economic value of family
caregiving, and social work support
Gerontological social work: continuum of services for older
adults, case management, and aging in place
APA style writing and citation
Preparing effective oral presentation
Reading: DuBois & Miley, Chapter 14
[PB: 3(c) (Critical thinking); 9(b) (Respond to contexts that shape
practice)]
11/8
Sign-up for oral presentation in week 13 or 14
Check-in: assignment #3 & #4
11/15
[PB: 3(a, c) (Critical thinking); 5(a) (Justice), 9(b) (Respond to contexts
that shape practice)]
Fields of Practice Group Presentation (Assignment #4)
11/22
Student Presentations in class
[PB: 1(d) (Professional identity); 3(a, c) (Critical thinking); 5(a)
(Justice), 9(b) (Respond to contexts that shape practice)]
Fields of Practice Group Presentation (Assignment #4) Continued
15
11/29
Student Presentations in class
[PB: 1(d) (Professional identity); 3(a, c) (Critical thinking); 5(a)
(Justice), 9(b) (Respond to contexts that shape practice)]
Thanksgiving Holiday – Campus Closed
16
12/6
12
13
14
Final
Exam
Review of generalist social work practice
Assignment 3-1: Group Project, e-Portfolio, AND Assignment 3-2:
Personal Reflection paper due by 6pm
Date and time of the final exam will be arranged